My New Playbook

Owning a Playbook

 Update.

 Handwriting is so far a bust on the Playbook. 

 But this use in classroom looks nice—the multi tasking comes in handy in a lecture situation.

http://cnettv.cnet.com/give-presentations-blackberry-playbook/9742-1_53-50104394.html

 And book reading via Kobo/Borders is working well, though I still prefer paper books.

 Since it supports HTML-5, I am hoping for a working version of Zotero for it some day soon.  That makes it a great portable research assistant.

 Techsmith just announced for Ipad ScreenChomp—and mention it for e-tutoring.

http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/screenchomp/id442415881?mt=8

 I am jealous and covetous and full of envy.  But that is Sin.  Instead, I continue to enjoy the Playbook.  Got a leather case and pen for it.  The pen tip is basically a rubber ball, sort of an end of the finger clone.  Lousy for handwriting.

The River War Summary | BookRags.com

1899 Unabridged Edition (Two volumes)

The unabridged version contains many illustrations with drawings, photogravures, and colored maps. It also contains vivid narratives of personal adventures of the author, his views on British expansionism, passages of deep reflection about the requirements of a civilized government, criticism of military and political leaders and very harsh commentary on Mohammedanism. [1]

“How dreadful are the curses which Mohammedanism lays on its votaries! Besides the fanatical frenzy, which is as dangerous in a man as hydrophobia in a dog, there is this fearful fatalistic apathy. The effects are apparent in many countries. Improvident habits, slovenly systems of agriculture, sluggish methods of commerce, and insecurity of property exist wherever the followers of the Prophet rule or live. A degraded sensualism deprives this life of its grace and refinement; the next of its dignity and sanctity. The fact that in Mohammedan law every woman must belong to some man as his absolute property, either as a child, a wife, or a concubine, must delay the final extinction of slavery until the faith of Islam has ceased to be a great power among men. Thousands become the brave and loyal soldiers of the Queen: all know how to die but the influence of the religion paralyses the social development of those who follow it. No stronger retrograde force exists in the world. Far from being moribund, Mohammedanism is a militant and proselytizing faith. It has already spread throughout Central Africa, raising fearless warriors at every step; and were it not that Christianity is sheltered in the strong arms of science, the science against which it had vainly struggled, the civilisation of modern Europe might fall, as fell the civilisation of ancient Rome.” [2]
via bookrags.com

Winston Churchill's observations from The River War, his 1899 account of his experiences in Sudan, raise troubling questons we confront to this day. The status of women remains a problem.

Notice that although Churchill is a "Conservative" in English Parliamentary lingo, his position is the liberal one of equality and resistance to slavery.

Alas, only the abridged 1902 one volume edition is available free from gutenberg.org. But the free edition is a fine place to begin.

Studying Literature

In college English courses from English Composition 2 on up, the study of literature is central.  Why? Why study the form of the novel or how a poem uses metaphor?

Some might ask how we can justify this in a world so near destruction.  Shouldn't we be studying something useful, so as to alleviate pain in the world?

Others, perhaps more hedonistic, might approach from a different angle and wonder why bother with reading when we have video. Reading a novel is harder than watching a film. You have to decode the language correctly and get the inflections right.  And you have to imagine the people and places and the emotions and voice levels and so on.  In  a film, this is done for you by trained actors and directors.  You are still involved because you are observing details and evaluating characters as you go along in the film.  But you are not involved in what the actors have already done for you.

In a sense, the actors creativity has blocked your creativity.  A reader has to be an actor.

Who We Are

    Who We Are

    Rooted in the grace of God, the mission of the Massachusetts Conference of the United Church of Christ is to nurture local church vitality and the covenant among our churches to make God’s love and justice real.

    We are a gathering of 386 churches with over 73,000 members, making us the largest Protestant denomination in Massachusetts. Our roots go back to the Puritans and Pilgrims who founded this country, making us the Commonwealth’s oldest denomination.

    via macucc.org

    Here is an irony. We begin with a brag here of the Puritan and Pilgrim roots of the Church, yet the call for "restorative justice" to replace "retributive justice" utterly rejects the views about justice of the same Puritans and Pilgrims. And it rejects the Anglo-Saxon traditions of jurisprudence as well. Seems to me like over-kill.  You can do much for the prisoners and downtrodden without going so far as to put the burden on the victim.

    Pleasant Street Congregational Church

    Pleasant Street Congregational Church
    United Church of Christ (UCC), Arlington MA

    Pleasant Street Congregational Church

    Pleasant Street Church

    Rent our space!

    Conveniently located in Arlington Center, Pleasant Street Church has a number of great spaces to rent: email rentals@pleasantstreetchurch.org or call 781-643-0553 and leave a message.

    We’re sorry to announce that our congregation has closed.
    If you are looking for a church please visit the United Church of Christ – Massachusetts Conference’s Find A church webpage.

    via pleasantstreetchurch.org

    I know this building. The Boston Scottish Fiddle Club met there for a couple of years. Kitchen, big windows, music fun. How sad the announcement that the congregation has closed. Who will buy it and what will they do with it? It arose because of the support of a group who were praising God. Without the church, I guess it will be up to the state to run it. I hope Arlington can support this stately beauty on Mass. Ave. Or maybe it will become some condos or a night club or a mosque.